Rotary stock picker



March 18, 19 58 J. B. BENYAK 2,827,331

ROTARY STOCK PICKER Filed June 14, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JUHA/ B- BENYAK A7 ENE-3Y5- March 18, 1958 J. B. BENYAK 2,827,331

ROTARY STOCK PICKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1955 INVENTOR.

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March 18, 1958 J. B. BENYAK 2,827,331

ROTARY STOCK PICKER Filed June 14, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

JOHN 3. BEN YAK Mia Await A TTOE/Vf Y6.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,827,331 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 ROTARY STGCK PICHR John B. Benyak, Cleveland, ()hio, assignor to The Osborn Manufacturing Company, Clevelmd, (Bhio, a corporation of (Ethic Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,369

12 Claims. (Cl. 300-7) This invention relates as indicated to a rotary stock picker, and more particularly to a device adapted to take measured quantities of brush bristle material from a supply thereof and to deliver the same in proper position for feeding to conveyor means in a continuous uniform layer.

in the manufacture of brush strip such as that described in Peterson Patent 2,303,386, for example, a continuous layer of brush material is deposited upon a continuously traveling metal tape, an elongated retaining element such as a wire is laid upon the brush material along the longitudinal center line of such tape, and the latter is then shaped to channel form about the Wire to double the brush material about the latter with the end portions of the brush material projecting from the result ant channel form brush back. As taught in the aforesaid ieterson patent, properly forme teeth will desirably be punched in from therespective sides of the channel back to overlie the brush material retaining wire to assist in securing the latter in place. Such teeth are also of service in preventing shifting of the brush material longitudinally of the back. Brush strip of the above and other known typesis now a common article of commerce andis utilized in a great variety of ways. One very common use is to circularize such strip with the brush material extending generally radially outwardly and to mount theresultant circularizecl brush element upon an appropriate hub, arbor or mandrel to form a rotary brush. Power driven rotary brushes are often operated at very high'speeds, and it is important that they should be carefully balanced. It is also im ortant in order to obtain the desired brushing characteristics that the density of the brush fill material should be uniform about the periphery of the brush. In the past, the density of fill has not been nearly as uniform as desired due to the lack of'sufficiently precise means for depositing thebrush'material upon the traveling strip from which the back is to be formed. indeed, the mechanical distribution obtained has often been so unsatisfactory that it has been necessary manually to redistribute the material prior to application of the retaining wire thereupon. Such manual operation is not only expensive, but does not by any means assure as uniform distribution of the brush material as is desired.

it is accordingly a principal object of my invention to provide mechanism operative to take measured quantities of brush bristle material from a Supply thereof such as a hopper and to deliver such selected material in a uniform manner.

A further object is to provide such mechanism operative to deposit a continuous uniform layer of brush bristle material transversely of the path of the travel of the continuous conveying means.

Still another object is to provide such mechanism of rotary form and accordingly relatively simple to drive and precise in its timing.

A further object is to provide such mechanism including means effective precisely to'measure individual selected bundles of brush bristle materialtaken from the hopper or other source of supply.

Other objects of the invention will appear as'the description proceeds.

To the'accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed-out'in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in'which the'principle'of the invention may be employed.

in said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the rotary stock picker mechanism embodying the principles of my inven tion;

.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of such mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line33 on Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 on Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to said drawing, the embodiment there illustrated comprises a platform or table 1 along the upper surface of which a conveyor such as belt 2 may be caused to travel in the direction indicated by the arrow (from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1). Rearwardly of the table and supported by heavy frame members such as 3 is a box frame 4 in which shaft 5 is journaled and enclosing bevel gear drive means (not shown) for such shaft.

Directly above shaft 5 is a brush bristle hopper comprising a back plate 6 and two vertically extending side members 7 and 8 carried by brackets 9, 1t .11 and 12 on box frame 4. A vertical shaft or post 13 is secured to box frame 4 alongside such hopper and a stock hold-down plate 14 is sleeved thereon. Such hold-down plate may be swiveled aboutrod 13 so as to project inwardly between hopper side members 7 and..-8,.and rest upon the upper surface or" the brush bristle. material in such hopper. Anupper sleeve 15 and .a weight 16 likewise sleeved on rod .13 applies pressure to such hold-down plate. When not in use, the hold-down may be swung out of position and permitted to rest upon the upper surface of box frame 4 as shown in Fig. 1.

Keyed to shaft 5 is a hub 17 boltedto a disc member 13 which is to be caused to rotate with such shaft. Firmly secured in four equally circumferentially spaced radial slots such as 19 in such disc are inserts 20 having outer edge portions 21 and 22 of considerably less thickness than that of disc 18. Such edge portions are spaced to leave a notch 23 therebetween, the sides ofwhich are inclined in the direction of rotation of the disc (counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1). A thin metal strip 24 having a bent outer end portion 25 projecting into notch 23 is adapted to be secured in radially adjusted position, thereby to determine the effective depth of the notch and the size of the bundle of brush bristle material capable of being received therein.

Two face plates 26 and 27 are mounted on box frame 4 to each side of disc 18 and have arcuate faces closely embracing the outer periphery of such disc except at the top where the hopper bottoms against the disc and at the bottom where there is a relatively narrow gap 'between such face plates through which bundles of brush bristle'material are adapted to be dropped as described below. A stock stripper member 28 is pivotally mounted at 29 and protrudes through a vertical slot-30 (Fig. 3) in hopper side member 7. A spring-backed plunger 31 operates resiliently to rock stripper member 28 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l to hold the latter of bristles contained in a notch 23 will be slightly further.

compacted therein during transportation downwardly to delivery position. 7

Four small cam rollers 33, 34, and 36 are pivotally mounted on the face of disc 18 adjacent hub 17 for rotation about axes parallel to that of shaft 5. Each such roller is positioned slightly in advance of a corresponding notch 23 in the direction of rotation of the disc (counterclockwise as shown). Means is provided locally to agitate the brush bristle material in the hopper as each such notch passes therebeneath, such means comprising a fiat bar 37 mounted for reciprocation in bracket 3% and having an upturned claw 39 at its end, the tip of such claw being very slender and terminating in an upward direction just below the upper periphery of the disc. Axial reciprocation of bar 37 will accordingly be seen to cause such claw to agitate bristles dropping into 1 notch 23 and to compactsuch bristles by pushing them to the right within such notch as viewed in Fig. 1, it being recalled that such notches are slightly inclined in the direction of rotation of the disc. Such reciprocation of bar 37 is obtained by means of rocker arm 40, one end of which is pivoted at 41 on main frame 4 and the other end of which is pivotally connected at 42 to the end of bar 37. A tension spring 43 tends to pull bar 37 to the left. A rigid cam member 44 onrocker arm is adapted to engage cam rollers 33, 34, 35 and 36 as disc 18 turns to rock arm 40 and thereby reciprocate bar 37. A spring 45 desirably connects bar 37 and cam 39 will project upwardly to each side of a notch 23 passing therebetween. It will also be noted that after a cam roller has passed cam member 44, permitting claws 39 to be shifted to the left again, such roller will thereafter engage the underside *Of bar 37 to rock the same and thereby claw 39 upwardly as it passes. Such claws 39 drop as soon as a roller passes the end of bar 37, and this is timed as shownin Fig. 1 with the arrival of a notch in the disc beneath the hopper. Such dropping of the claws together with the weight of hold-down 14 on the top of the stack of brush bristle material within the hopper serves to ensure that the notch is uniformly and completely filled.

Shoes such as 46 are secured to the lower edge of face plate 26 and cooperate with upturned leaf spring members 47 and 48 in directing the bristle tufts downwardly uponthe traveling conveyor belts 2. As best shown in Fig. 2, such leaf spring members are spaced rather widely laterally of the disc to engage the outer end portions of the bristle tufts. Pivotally mounted for oscillation about the rod 49 to which such leaf springs are also pivotally secured are presser feet 50 and 51 having upturned ends likewise adapted to engage the tufts in disc notches 23 more closely adjacent such disc. Stops 52 serve to limit the vertical oscillation of such feet.

The operation of my new stock picker may now readily be understood. A supply of the brush bristle material is placed in the hopper with one end of the bristles abutting back plate 6, the central portion of the stack of bristles resting on the upper edge of disc 18, and weighted hold-down 14 being swung into position to overlie and rest upon the top of the stack. As shaft 5 and disc 18 rotate and a notch 23'approaches the bottom of the hopper, one of the cam rollers will act on cam member 44 to shift bar 37 to the right while another cam roller will serve to lift the clawed end of such bar. When the 4 claws are next dropped and reciprocated'to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 they loosen bristles above the notch which thereupon fall into the notch and fill the same. The end of cam 44 ridesagainst the periphery of hub 17 when not engaged by a roller. As the bristle filled notch passes stripper 23, the pointed end thereof separates any excess material not entirely within the notch and the measured tuft is now carried around to the lower side of the disc whereit drops downwardly against the inclined end'of member 46 under'the action of presser feet 50 and 51 and leaf springs 47 and 48. The slightly overlapping arcuate strips 32 tend to buckle the bundles of bristles contained in the notches traveling past and thereby prevent longitudinal shifting of the bristles. When released the bottom, the natural resiliency of such bristles causes them to snap back to straight position and this assists their ejection from the notches. The disc may rotate at from 50 to R. P. M., forexample, and centripetal force is accordingly also of assistance in discharging the bundles. As successive tufts are'deposited, they form a continuous layer held between member 46 and the fiat spring members which is gradually pushed downwardly onto conveyor belts 2, the rate of travel of such belts being synchronized with the rate of rotation of disc 18 so that a continuous layer of desired uniform bristle density is deposited on such conveyor and carried into the brush strip making machine or other associated mechanism.

The flat sheet metal members 47 and 48 rest on the layer of bristle material deposited and traveling on the conveyor, and serve to compact and control the same. When using fine wire bristle material, it will'often be desirable to omit side members 32 which may otherwise put a permanent bend in some of the bristles. In general,

however, my new device will handle all types of brush their'mid-points resting on the disc periphery. The lower part of the hopper on the entrance side slopes slightly in the direction of rotation of the disc and the stripper protrudes into the hopper at the exit side, having regard to the direction of disc rotation. Several of my new stock pickers may be arranged in sequence to deliver bristle material to the conveyor which may include the metal strip which is subsequently deformed to provide the channel brush strip back as shown in Peterson Patent 2,303,386.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A rotary stock picker adapted to deliver a continuous uniform layer of brush bristle material to travela ing conveyor means for formation into brush strip and the like comprising a hopper in which such bristle material is adapted to be arranged in parallel horizontal position, hold-down means operative to press upon the' upper surface of the bristle supply in said hopper, a disc mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to such bristles with the upper peripheral portion of said disc defining the bottom of said hopper, a' plurality of equally spaced notches in the disc periphery, said notches being inclined outwardly in the direction of 'disc rotation and the notch edge portions being less thick than the body of said disc, thin flat strips adjustably secured to said disc radially inwardly of said notches and having bent outer end portions fitting within said notches to determine the effective depth of the latter, thereby regulating the size genes-s1 of a bundle of'bristles adapted 'to-be reccivedina said notch, 'stationary-arcuate members oloselyfitting the periphery of said disc to each side of said hopper and extending downwardly to the bottom edge of said disc where they are spaced apart to permit discharge of brush bristle bundles from said notches, arcuate side edge members on said stationary arcuate member veryslightly overlying the edge portion of said disc after passing said hopper slightly to compress and bend the bristle bundles insaid notches, a bristle stripper member at the exit side of said hopper having an edge portion fitting the periphery of said disc and a downwardly concave point protruding into said hopper against said disc periphery, means mounting said stripper for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to that of said disc, resilient means yieldably urging said stripper member against said disc periphery, a horizontal continuous conveyor disposed beneath said disc and arranged to travel in a direction parallel to the plane of the latter, a shoe on the lower end of said arcuate member carrying said arcuate side edge members beveled downwardly where the bottom edge of said disc is exposed betweensaid arcuate members, flat spring members laterally spaced on each side of said disc above said conveyor having turned-up toe portions opposed to'the beveled end of said shoe, less abruptly curved presser feet above saidspringmembers closely adjacent the respective sides of said disc adapted to disengage bristle bundles from said notches, with said spring members pressing accumulated discharge bristles first against said beveled shoe and then against said con eyor in a continuous layer, both said spring members and said presser feet being mounted for upward rocking movement about an axis parellel to that of said disc, cam rollers mounted on the face of said disc radially inwardly and slightly in advance of each said notch for rotation about axes parallel to the axis of said disc, a guideway slightly below the upper edge of said disc, a generally horizontal bar disposed for longitudinal reciprocation in said guideway, an upturned claw on said bar normally projecting upwardly into the region of said notches but below the upper edge of said disc, cam means arranged for engagement by successive said rollers operative to reciprocate said bar and claw, and resilient means urging said bar to extended position toward the stripper side of said hopper, said bar also being disposed for engagement by another said roller to lift said bar and claw to intrude the latter into the bristle supply in said hopper simultaneously with reciprocation of said bar and claw away from the stripper side of said hopper and toward an approaching said notch.

2. A rotary stock picker adapted to deliver a continuous uniform layer of brush bristle material to traveling conveyor means for formation into brush strip and the like comprising a hopper in which such bristle material is adapted to be arranged in parallel horizontal position, hold-down means operative to press upon the upper surface of the bristle supply in said hopper, a disc mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to such bristles with the upper peripheral portion of said disc defining the bottom of said hopper, a plurality of equally spaced notches in the disc periphery adapted to receive bristles from said hopper, means bounding and confining the periphery of said disc on the exit side of said hopper having regard to the direction of rotation of said disc, whereby bundles of bristles received in such notches from said hopper are confined therein during subsequent travel until the underside of said disc is reached, bristle discharge means disposed adjacent the underside of said disc adapted to engage bristle bundles in such notches to discharge them downwardly from such notches, presser means positioned to receive such discharged bristle bundles in an accumulating layer, continuous conveyor means positioned to receive such layer as the latter is pushed downwardly thereon, agitator means adapted to engage the bristles in the bottom of the hopper, and cam 5 means operative in synchronism with rotation of said disc to activate said agitator means as each successive notch reaches the underside of said hopper.

3. A rotary stock picker adapted to deliver a con tinuous uniform layer of brush bristle material to traveling conveyor means for formation into brush strip and the like comprising a hopper in which such bristle material isadapted to be arranged in parallel horizontal position, hold-down means operative to press upon the upper surface of the bristle-supply in said hopper, a disc mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to such bristles with the upper peripheral portion of said disc defining the bottom of said hopper, a plurality of equally spaced notches in the disc periphery adapted to receive bristles from said hopper, means bounding and confining the periphery of said 'disc on the exit side of said hopper having regard to' the direction of rotation of said disc, whereby bundles of bristles received in such notches from said hopper are confined therein during subsequent travel until the underside of said disc is reached, bristle discharge means disposed adjacent the underside of said disc adapted to engage bristle bundles in such notches to discharge, them downwardly from such notches, presser' means positioned to receive such discharged bristle bundles and loosely grip the same in an accumulating layer, and continuous conveyor means positioned below said presser'means to receive such layeras the latter is pushed downwardly thereon by said presser means.

4. In a rotary stock picker for brush bristle material and the like having a hopper in which such bristles are adapted to be arranged in parallel horizontal position, a disc mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to such bristles with the upper peripheral portion of said disc defining the bottom of said hopper, at least one notch in the disc periphery adapted to receive bristles therein when beneath said hopper, and a retaining member positioned in close engagement with a portion of the disc periphery on the exit side of said hopper, having regard to the direction of rotation of said disc; bristle discharge means positioned beyond said retaining member circumferentially of said disc and separate therefrom adapted to engage bristle bundles in such notch to eject such bundles therefrom and to accumulate a continuous uniform layer of such bristles therebeneath.

5. The mechanism of claim 4, including a stripper member conforming to the periphery of said disc and having a beveled end protruding into the exit side of said hopper thereagainst, and means resiliently holding said stripper member against said disc periphery.

6. The mechanism of claim 4, including members slightly overlapping the periphery of said disc on each side thereof in the region of said retaining member, further to compress a bundle of bristles in such notch v with the respective ends of such bundle deflected toward the axis of said disc.

7. The mechanism of claim 4, including means radially adjustably mounted on said disc and projecting into such notch effective to regulate the bristle-holding capacity of the latter.

8. The mechanism of claim 4, including bristle agitator means comprising a pointed member adapted to project upwardly into the bottom of said hopper, and drive means operative in timed relation to rotation of said disc to intrude said pointed member upwardly among the lowermost bristles in said hopper shortly in advance of the arrival of such notch and to move said pointed member toward such notch while thus upwardly extended.

9. The mechanism of claim 4, wherein such notch is inclined outwardly in the direction of rotation of said disc, and said bristle discharge means includes opposed members positioned to receive the bristle bundles therebetween, said latter members sloping at an angle substantially the same as that of such notch when aligned therewith.

7 V 10. In a rotary stock picker for brush bristle material and the like having a hopper in which such bristles are adapted to be arrangedtin parallel horizontal position and a disc mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to such bristles with the upper peripheral portion of said disc defining the bottom of said hopper; 'said disc having at least one notch in its outer periphery inclined outwardly in the direction of rotation of said disc and adapted to receive bristles from said hopper; means adapted to retain, compact, and flex a bundle of bristles V in such notch after it has left said hopper comprising atcuate members overlapping the periphery of said disc on' each side thereof and extending downwardly from said hopper toward the bottom of said disc, ejector members disposed closely adjacent each side of said disc adapted ,to engage such bundle after travel beyond said arcuate members to direct such bundle downwardly out of such notch, an agitator claw mounted for intrusion upwardly into the underside of a supply of bristles in generally parallel thereto adapted to engage the respective outer portions of the bristle bundle ejected from such notch. V 7

12. In a rotary stock picker for brush bristle material and the like having a hopper in which such bristles are adapted to be arranged in'parallel horizontal position and a disc mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to such bristles with the upper peripheral portion of said disc defining the bottom of said hopper; said disc having at least one notch in its outer periphery inclined outwardly in the direction of rotation of said disc and adapted to receive bristles from said hopper, means adapted temporarily to retain such a bundle of bristles in such notch after the latter has left said hopper, an upwardly projecting agitator member adapted to be intruded into the underside of a supply of bristles in said hopper, and

drive means operative to elevate said agitator member thus to intrude the same and to move said agitator member in a direction opposite to the direction of simultaneous movement of an approaching such notch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,630 Besson June 19, 1894 1,504,575 Nielsen Aug. 12, 1924 1,888,351 Lipps Nov. 22, 1932 

